Latakia-SANA
Today, the activities of the third session of the Aramo Cultural Festival, which is held in cooperation with Lattakia Governorate, the Ethar Charitable Association and a number of NGOs, began under the slogan “It was in our villages.”
The activities of the first day of the festival included folkloric paintings inspired by the coastal heritage of the Gabala Troupe and the Life Skills Folklore Team, and traditional dances by the Aramo Folk Dance Troupe, followed by a tour of the stone-built old town to learn about the archaeological and religious monuments that the town embraces.
The festival also includes an exhibition of artworks made of reeds, carved wood carvings, handicrafts from the bounties of the countryside, such as dried tomatoes, medicinal and aromatic plants, and a variety of apple cider vinegar and grains such as freekeh, wheat and bulgur, to highlight the works that the villagers practice as a source of livelihood and in order to preserve the heritage of parents and grandparents.
Haider Mohamed Naissa, director of the festival, stressed that the main objective of the event is to revive the ancient past with its authentic customs and traditions, and to strengthen the connection and communication between grandparents and grandchildren in the hustle of modern life and technology that occupies a large part of their days.
Ahlam Al-Rifai, head of the media committee of the festival, pointed out the peculiarity involved in organizing the festival in the town of Aramo, which defeated terrorism eight years ago through the solidarity of its people, their adherence to their land, and their standing by the heroes of the Syrian Arab Army in the face of armed groups, emphasizing the continuity of life with determination and determination despite the difficulties, referring to the organization of sessions Every evening, folk singers and zajal poets perform daily evening performances on musical instruments such as buzuq, ney, rababa, oud, mawz, and tabl, in addition to courses to learn the Aramaic language.
The Director of Culture in Lattakia Majd Sarem pointed to the importance of the festival in its third session and its varied program, rich in cultural and heritage activities that shed light on Syria's ancient history and authentic heritage, reviving it and transmitting its true customs and traditions to future generations, stressing that Aramo represents a true embodiment of human strength and the victory of the will of life over the forces of darkness and gangs. criminal.
In turn, Yasser Douai, Director of Tourism, said that the festival falls within the framework of promotional activities and one of the ways of tourist attractions by introducing charming tourist sites in our beautiful countryside that offer new investment horizons and contribute to creating job opportunities and benefiting all parties.
Young Hanan Taha explained that the “Rasma and Basma” event, which she supervises with her two friends, is an interactive, entertaining artistic activity targeting children and young people between 3 and 16 years of age to develop their mental abilities and stimulate the creative spirit to think outside the ordinary and take advantage of what nature provides in creating useful materials, indicating that the event includes reading a story And a drawing in colors and a section of recycling old clothes and cardboard.
Businesswoman Dalal Salloum, who came from the city of Homs to attend the Aramo Festival, confirmed that the festival gave her the opportunity to visit a wonderfully beautiful rural town for the first time, as she drew the popularity of the festival and the attendance from various neighboring villages, in addition to the moderate weather despite the intense summer heat and the picturesque landscapes of the mountains And green forests and lands planted with various types of fruit trees such as peaches, apples, peaches, figs and other summer vegetables.
In turn, the daughter of the town, Dareen Nasser, indicated that this popular event is of great interest by the people for several reasons, most notably introducing the town of Aramo and its historical and archaeological landmarks, encouraging tourism because of the beauty of nature and the kindness of its residents, and introducing the heritage professions that its people seek to preserve and teach them to their children, in order to protect them from danger. extinction.
The activities of the second day include a group of popular games such as tug-of-war, "the primitive version of golf and hockey" and "weightlifting" that develop team spirit, teamwork and positive competitiveness, in which 22 teams representing villages of the town of Aramo participate, while the third and final day will witness the organization of an environmental campaign to clean up The Green Forest, which covers an area of 50 dunums, in cooperation with the villagers and volunteers from the civil society, on the “Day of Aid,” a popular tradition that aims to instill the spirit of volunteerism in the hearts of young people and young people.
Rasha Raslan and Alaa Ibrahim